ANSA news

Balkans: Hahn, common market cuts business costs

Wed, 12/07/2017 - 18:24

(ANSA) - TRIESTE - The economic regional area in the Western
Balkans region, which will bring together 20 million people with
the free flow of goods and services, "will attract even more
investors" as "labor costs and start-ups costs will decrease",
said the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, at the
Western Balkans Summit in Trieste.
"The European Union can not succeed without economic
incentives" and, when it comes to the six Balkans countries,
they "are very attractive, they have a lot of potential and much
can be done", he pointed out. Trade between the Western Balkans
and the EU countries grew by 44 billion euros in 2016, and the
EU is the region's largest trading partner, accounting for over
76% of the region's total trade, "but there is still a large
potential", the Commissioner added.
The EU's commitment is not enough, though. "I'm convinced
that we have to invest, risk and create something" but "politics
can only give the context" for a positive change, Hahn said.
"It's also up to the six countries to do something more". The
Commissioner has then called on entrepreneurs "to create
opportunities for work, to improve and share experiences".
(ANSA).

In brief

Founded in 1989, the CEI is a regional intergovernmental forum committed to supporting European integration through cooperation among its Member States.
It combines multilateral diplomacy and project management, both as donor and recipient, while bridging European macro-regions.